Cardinal Newman baseball team flying high after encounter with World Series ring

The Cardinal Newman baseball team had a brush with World Series greatness Thursday on their way to a tournament in the Phoenix area.

Their flight out of Oakland was delayed and while they were hanging out in the terminal spotted a familiar-looking guy in an orange Tommy Bahama shirt, said coach T.J. McMahon.

San Francisco Giants announcer and former big league second baseman Duane Kuiper chatted with the Newman players and took some pictures with them.

Kuiper even allowed McMahon’s wife and younger son to handle his World Series ring, and once they all boarded the plane, Kuiper allowed the young ballplayers to pass around his ring and try it on.

“It’s heavy. It’s big, silver with five diamonds,” the coach said.

Later on the TV broadcast of the Giants-A’s game, Kuiper name-dropped the team and coach.

“That was pretty cool,” McMahon said.

The Cardinals lost their first game in the 114-team Coach Bob International Tournament Thursday night and play again Friday and Saturday.

You can reach Lori A. Carter at 521-5470 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @loriacarter.